Indefinite
by DobbyRocksSocks
Summary: George is upset when Rube leaves, but that doesn't change when he returns. Can he convince her to stay in Seattle?


**Disclaimer - I own nothing you recognise, which is unfortunate, cause I woulda never cancelled it. **

**AN - One shot, hope you enjoy, drop a review at the end if it pleases you :P **

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"When do you think we'll find out who the new boss is?" George asked Mason and Roxy. They were sitting in Der Waffle Haus, Mason and Roxy both eating, George nursing her coffee.

"Probably in the morning," Roxy replied after she finished her mouthful of waffles. "We'll need the reaps, right?"

George nodded. "I guess. I think I'm going to put in for a transfer."

"No, Georgie, you can't," Mason spluttered. "The groups already falling apart, it'll be even worse with you gone!"

"Fuck the group, Mason. I'm losing my fucking mind being here everyday," George replied with a sigh. "That whole thing with Kane, it was just too much."

"If you leave, he wins, you know," Roxy said frowning. "Besides, Mason was right for a change. Without Rube, we're falling to pieces. If you leave as well, the whole thing will just go to pot."

George rested her head on the table. "I'll see how it goes, alright. I'm not making any promises. And where the fuck is Daisy?"

"Probably hiding somewhere," Roxy snorted.

"Why?"

"Because she's embarrassed, I imagine. After all that crap she told us about her being an amazing actress, she certainly fucked up her debut performance, don't you think?"

"Yeah, but she had to know that none of us believed the shit she came out with," George pointed out. Even Mason nodded in agreeance.

"She'll be here in the morning," Roxy finished. "Probably to see if she can get into the pants of whoever they send to replace Kane."

"You don't think she learnt her lesson?" George asked, raising her eyebrow.

Roxy laughed. "Do you?"

George smiled. "You raise a fair point."

"I gotta go," Mason said, pushing his plate away, putting some money on the table for his portion of the bill and tip. "I'll see you both in the morning?"

"We'll be here," George drawled, tilting her head to allow Mason to kiss her cheek.

He left with a bounce in his step, and a happy smile on his face.

"Why do you let him do that?" Roxy asked, wrinkling her nose.

"It makes him happy, and I know he means nothing… gross, by it," George replied.

"I guess. So, you were serious about putting in for a transfer?"

"Yeah."

"What's the real reason? Cause I know it's nothing to do with Kane," Roxy asked, and George had known her long enough to know that the concern in her eyes was genuine.

"I just… All that stuff with Reggie, I mean, yeah, it was necessary to help her, but," George shrugged. "I miss Rube."

"I thought it might be about him," Roxy nodded, a small smile on her face. "You always were closer to him than the rest of us ever got."

"Bollocks," George scowled. "You knew him for twenty years, Mason longer than that. You can't say I was the closest to him."

"We knew him longer, sure. Over the last two, three years though, he opened up more to you than he ever did us, George. Christ, you had an open invitation to his apartment. No one else ever got that."

George didn't deny the truth in the words. "I just think a fresh start might be for the best, you know. Away from here. Everything reminds me of him."

"Wait and see who the new boss is," Roxy advised. "Then make your decision."

George nodded. "I will. I don't want to leave, you know. I love all you guys, even Daisy, pain in the arse that she is. I just…"

"You loved him more."

"I love him differently," George admitted. Roxy didn't comment on the present tense, nor did she ask how it was different. All of them had realised that George was in love with Rube, they were just waiting for the inevitable to happen when Rube got his lights.

She patted George on the shoulder as she left. Sometimes, life, and undeath, was just fucking unfair.

xxxx

Daisy, Mason and Roxy were already in their usual booth when George arrived at Der Waffle Haus the following morning. She took a seat beside Roxy, and ordered a coffee.

"You never eat any more," Mason observed as Kiffany walked away.

"I'm not hungry," George replied, taking a sip of her coffee. Strong and hot, just the way she liked it.

"You'll waste away," Daisy said, picking at her own breakfast. "It's not like you have much weight to lose."

"Is she being purposefully fucking stupid?" George asked Roxy, who laughed.

"Probably."

"That wasn't very kind, Georgia," Daisy pouted.

George glowered at her. "Blow me."

Mason snorted, then winced when Daisy dug him in the side with her elbow. "That fucking hurt," he whined.

"Aww, poor baby," Roxy teased.

"I wish whoever was coming would hurry the fuck up and get here," George groused. "I gotta go to work."

"Yeah, me too," Roxy agreed with a sigh as she checked her watch.

"Then you'll be wanting these, ladies?" said a voice at the end of the booth. George turned so fast she cricked her neck. That voice, a voice she'd dreamed of so many times, a voice she thought she'd never hear again.

Rube stood in front of her, holding out a post it.

"Fuck me," Mason exclaimed, a laugh bubbling just behind his words.

"Fuck yourself," Rube replied with a scowl. "Here, Peanut, get yourself off to work."

George just stared at him.

"George? You alright?" Roxy asked, poking her none too gently in the side.

"Fucking peachy," George whispered, taking the post it from Rube carefully, making sure not to touch him.

"I'll talk to you later, George," Rube said, offering her a soft smile. "First, I gotta deal with this lot of fuck ups."

George's breath hitched, and she choked back a sob. She thought she'd never see him again. "I gotta go," she mumbled, sliding from the booth. "I can't deal with this today."

He caught hold of her arm with his hand, pulling her back to look at him. "Are you alright?" he asked gently, worry clouding his eyes.

"I gotta go," she repeated, pulling her arm free and walking away from the table as fast as she could without running. Both Rube and Roxy watched her get into her car, and lean her head against the steering wheel.

When Rube moved to walk outside to talk to her, she looked up and saw him watching. Within seconds, she'd pulled from the car park and moved out onto the road. He sighed.

Roxy got out of the booth so he could slide into his usual seat, and sat down beside him.

"We know we fucked up," she started before he could begin with his lecture. "And we sorted it out."

"If you call murdering a fellow reaper 'sorting', then yes, I suppose you did. So, if you have all the answers, Roxy, riddle me this. How is it that the youngest of you was the only one to see through Kane's bullshit? How is it that she was the only who didn't fuck up?"

"She was talking to her sister! She told her sister who she really was!" Daisy exclaimed, eager to shift some of the guilt to the one who had already gone.

"And she didn't lose any memories, which means that was what she was supposed to be doing," Rube countered, glaring at Daisy. "You, Princess, have got absolutely no fucking right to try and shift the blame to George, when you was the one who fucked up the most."

"I'm sorry," Daisy said. "Really I am."

"What? No excuses?" Rube asked, raising his eyebrow at her. "I'm disappointed, I thought you were a better actress than that. Roxy? Mason? Excuses? Reasoning behind the fuck ups? Because really, I'm at a fucking loss."

None of them spoke. Rube shook his head. "You're all on probation. Any more fuck ups, and you cease to exist. No lights, no reaching of quota's. You'll be done."

"Seriously?" Daisy gasped. "You're really putting us in a predicament where we could never get to… whatever is waiting for us. That's cold, Rube, even for you."

"If it was my choice, I'd send the lot of you off now. As it is, these are the orders I've been sent back with. It is, however, my decision when your probation ends. Thanks to you three, I'm here indefinitely. So thanks. Really."

"So, Georgie isn't on probation?" Mason asked.

"No. She was actually their first choice for head reaper, until things...changed."

"What things?" Roxy asked suspiciously. "Did she put in for the transfer after all?"

"She was going to ask for a transfer?" Rube gaped. "I didn't know about that. That'll be it, I imagine. They'll know she's thinking about it, and they know she doesn't want the job. I'll speak to her."

"I gotta go," Roxy said after a moment passed. She took the post it Rube handed out to her, and stood up. Looking back at Rube, she softened. "It's really good to see you, Boss."

He nodded. "It's good to see you too."

Roxy left Rube at the table with Mason and Daisy. Hopefully, she'd have time on her lunch hour to go and see George.

xxxx

George sat in her office at Happy Time, trying to get her emotions under control. Rube was back, but for how long was anyone's guess. She hadn't known what she wanted to do the most when she saw him. Punch him in the face, or wrap her arms around him and beg him to never leave again.

Could she deal with him leaving again? No.

Should she leave before he had the chance? Maybe.

She didn't know what to do. She didn't even know what she wanted to do. Instead of puzzling it out, she sunk herself into her work, ignoring the rest of the world. Sometimes, she just needed a fucking break.

That was where Roxy found her four hours later.

"Are you due a break?" she asked when George finally looked up and spotted her. George checked her watch and sighed.

"Sure," she replied, standing up.

"Is everything alright, Millie?"

George turned around to see Dolores stood there, looking at Roxy with a hint of trepidation.

"Everything's fine. This is Roxy," George replied. "I'm good to take my break now, right?"

"Oh, of course. I'll see you when you get back," Dolores said, offering Roxy a small smile, before she about turned and walked away.

"Your boss?" Roxy asked. George nodded.

"Where are we going?"

"There's a cafe, just down the road," Roxy replied, and the two walked in silence to the cafe. Only when they'd been seated with coffee did Roxy speak again.

"We're on probation," she told George. "Any fuck ups, and we're done."

"What, all of us?" George asked. "And what do you mean, done? We fuck up, we get our lights early?

Roxy shook her head. "You're not. And no, I mean done. Cease to exist. We don't get whatever comes next, we're just… gone."

"Fucking hell, that's a bit harsh don't you think?" George asked.

"It is what it is, I suppose. We'll just have to be careful. Rube can take us off probation whenever he thinks we've done enough to make up for the fuck ups. He might be pissed at us, but he won't risk our souls for too long."

George could only nod in agreeance. Rube wasn't evil, he was just a moody fucker.

"So, how long is he back for?" she asked, biting at her lip.

"Indefinitely, apparently. Looks like he'll be around for a while, anyway. You were tipped for the head reaper job."

"Me? Are you having me on?"

"Nope. Apparently, you were their first choice, until something happened. I'd think it was about when you started thinking about a transfer that they decided to send Rube back."

"Fuck me. So it's my fault he got his light's revoked?" George asked, and Roxy could see the sadness in her eyes.

"Rube doesn't seem to think so. He thinks its our fault. Of course, if I'm honest, he doesn't seem all that upset to be back here anyway."

George could only shrug. "Maybe the break did him some good?" she asked, a spark of hope trying to ignite in her chest.

"Maybe," Roxy agreed. "I think he's expecting you at Der Waffle Haus after work, but he didn't say anything."

"I imagine he'll want to talk after the way I run out this morning. That was stupid, wasn't it?" George grumbled.

"It was understandable," Roxy said, resting her hand on George's for a minute. "Has it helped with your decision?"

George shook her head. "It's just confused me even more. I don't think I could cope if he left again," she admitted. "I only just kept it together this time."

"Talk to him," Roxy advised. "It's the only way to get it straightened out. Tell him how you feel."

"You want me to lay a guilt trip on him because of something out of his control? Not fucking likely."

"I didn't say guilt trip him. I said tell him how you feel. Be honest with him, he'll appreciate it," Roxy replied.

"Maybe," George conceded. She checked her watch, and cursed softly. "I gotta get back to work, Rox. I'll see you in the morning?"

"You will," Roxy said with a smile. "Look after yourself, alright. Try not to get worked up, it'll sort itself out in the end."

"Thanks," George said, pulling out her purse to pay for the coffee's. They left together, but went in opposite directions, George back to Happy Time, and Roxy to her squad car to do her rounds.

George felt a little better after their chat, but she was still confused. Roxy said Rube was back indefinitely, but what did that mean? Was he here forever? Or just until the next time he got his lights, which could be any time.

She'd only find out if she spoke to him.

xxxx

George pulled into the car park at Der Waffle Haus after her reap. Her heart was hammering, her hands sweating, and she felt lightheaded. She stayed in her car for a few minutes, trying to calm herself enough to actually walk into the diner.

Spotting Rube in their usual booth, George walked over slowly, and bottled it. Instead of joining him at the booth, she moved to the counter to order herself a coffee.

She could feel his eyes on her back. Taking the coffee, she thanked Kiffany quietly, before she gathered her nerves and turned to meet his gaze. She could see the emotions dancing across his face.

Worry. Happiness. Relief. More worry.

She sat down across from him and it added another emotion to the mix.

Disappointment.

Before he'd left, the spot beside him was reserved for her. No one else ever sat there, except Roxy on occasion, and even she moved without a word when George arrived in the mornings.

"Hi, Peanut," he said after a minute. His voice was tender and gruff at the same time, and she loved the way it washed over her. It was so familiar, so… so Rube, that it made her want to cry.

"Hey," she replied, her voice not much more than a whisper. She wrapped both hands around her cup and raised her eyes to meet his gaze.

"I missed you," he told her quietly.

"What was it like?" she asked tentatively.

"I don't remember much," he admitted. "I think they wiped my memory when they sent me back."

"Was, I mean, did you… Was Betty there?" She asked. She wasn't asking because she wanted to see Betty herself, even though she did. More than that, she wanted confirmation that whenever she got her lights, she would see him again.

"I… Yeah. She was. I don't remember what I spoke to her about, but I remember seeing her."

George smiled. "That's good."

Rube nodded. "What's this I'm hearing about a transfer, Peanut?"

She didn't know what to say. Should she take Roxy's advice and tell him the truth, or make up some bullshit that he probably wouldn't believe anyway. She offered him a half shrug.

"It just seemed like a good idea," she said after a minute. "I… With you gone, it just wasn't… it wasn't right."

"So you're not putting in for one, now then?" he pressed, and she shrugged again.

"I don't know," she admitted. "Still seems like it might be for the best."

"The best for who?" he asked, and she frowned at the hurt in his voice.

"The best all around, I guess. When you leave again…"

"I'm not going anywhere, George."

"You can't say things like that," she argued. "We never know when we're going to get our lights. You told me that, yourself."

"That's what you're going to base your decision on? Me leaving again?" he asked, and she sighed.

"Maybe I want to leave before you," she snapped. "Maybe I don't want to go insane if I have to come here one morning to a brand new boss, with shiny phones and bullshit new rules, and the others all acting like twats. Maybe I don't want to fall apart because one morning I get here, and you're not fucking here anymore. I don't want to hurt any more, Rube."

"Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry," he murmured. "Come here," he said, gesturing to her to move around to his side of the table. She hesitated for a second before doing as he asked.

As soon as her arse hit the bench, he was pulling her into a tight embrace. She let the tears she'd been holding back since his appearance that morning fall into his shirt. He held her close, pressing a kiss to her hair as she cried, rubbing a hand up and down her back soothingly.

"I'm sorry," she hiccuped, pulling away. "I shouldn't have subjected you to that."

He smiled, wiping her tears away gently. "I'm not going anywhere," he repeated. "I promise you."

She frowned. "A perk of being sent back? You know when you'll be going again?"

"A perk of agreeing to come back, is being able to choose when I get my lights next time. I'm doing then a favour this time, Peanut."

"And you won't go?"

"Not until you do," he assured her, quickly finding her back in his arms.

"Thank you," she whispered against his neck.

"The transfer?" he asked as she pulled back a second time.

"Is off the table," she replied, a small smile on her face.

"Thank you," he whispered.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, before George broke the quiet.

"Roxy came to see me earlier," she told him. "Told me about this probation thing."

"Oh?"

"It's not real, is it?" she asked, and laughed when he answered with a smirk. "I didn't think so."

"Our secret?" he asked.

She nodded. "Our secret. Just, don't torture Roxy for too long, alright?"

"As opposed to torturing Daisy and Mason for years?" he laughed and she shrugged.

"Mason will fuck up, it's what Mason does," she grinned. "Daisy… yeah, Daisy fucking deserves it."

He nodded. "She does."

"I gotta sleep," she said, draining her cup. "I'll see you in the morning?"

"You're not working tomorrow?" he asked, and she shook her head.

"Nope, I got a day off."

"Want to help me apartment hunt? Mine's been let out."

"Shit, I didn't even think of that," she grumbled. "Sure, I'll help you. Where are you staying tonight?"

He shrugged. "I'll figure it out."

"Fuck off, Rube. Finish your drink," she muttered. "You can stay with me, asshole."

"You still living alone?" he asked, pushing the cup away from himself and gesturing to her that he was ready.

She nodded. "You think I'd let any of them fuckers anywhere near my house now that I'm used to the privacy? Think again."

He laughed. "Fair point."

George asked for the check, paying it before Rube could protest.

"Just because I don't have a flat, doesn't mean I've no money," he chided her gently.

"Alright," she shrugged. "Breakfast is on you."

He nodded. "Deal."

"Come on then," she said, and he took her hand in his. She glanced down and smiled, squeezing lightly.

xxxx

Rube followed George into her detached bungalow, proceeding her into the living room so she could lock up for the night.

"You want a drink?" she asked, and he nodded.

"Wine or whisky?" she offered.

"Whichever you're having," he replied with a smile, looking around the room interest. There was nothing different from before he'd left that he could see. He'd always enjoyed nights in with George.

There was something about her that put him at ease, no matter if they were at hers or his.

She returned quickly enough, two tumblers of whisky in her hands, a small smile on his face. Passing him his own, she put hers on the table and took her jacket off, shuffling her shoes off into the corner.

He sat down on the sofa and waited for her to join him. "You want the fire lighting, or central heating?" she asked as she picked her drink up.

"Central heating," he decided quickly. "Now come sit down."

She joined him on the sofa, tucking her legs up under her, leaning against his shoulder.

"I missed this," she admitted after a minute. He wrapped his arm around her, drawing her closer to his side. She turned her head slightly to look up at him. She couldn't help but notice how close his lips were to her own.

She leant up against him, brushing her own lips tentatively against his. The small amount of contact seemed to break something inside him.

He held her face to his, deepening the kiss as he held her close. She wrapped her arms around his neck and moaned into the kiss. It felt so much better than she had dreamed it would.

When the need to breath became more important than the need to kiss, she leant back slightly, breathing heavily.

"Wow," she whispered when she'd caught her breath.

"Wow, indeed," he replied, his voice a little uneven.

"I love you," she gasped out before she lost her nerve. She watched cautiously for a reaction, but he seemed to have frozen.

She moved to pull back, but he held her to him, his eyes shining. "You've never said that before," he marvelled.

"I have issues with sentiment," she mumbled. "So fucking sue me."

"I love you, Peanut. More than anything," he told her, before he pressed his lips to hers in a chaste kiss.


End file.
